Pay It Forward (2000)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Mimi Leder

Writers (WGA):

Catherine Ryan Hyde (book)
Leslie Dixon (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 October 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Like some other kids, 12-year-old Trevor McKinney believed in the goodness of human nature. Like many other kids, he was determined to change the world for the better. Unlike most other kids, he succeeded.

Plot:

A young boy attempts to make the world a better place after his teacher gives him that chance.

Plot Keywords:

Teacher | Young Boy | Good Deed | Alcoholism | Forgiveness

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Kevin Spacey	...	Eugene Simonet
Helen Hunt	...	Arlene McKinney
Haley Joel Osment	...	Trevor McKinney
Jay Mohr	...	Chris Chandler
James Caviezel	...	Jerry
Jon Bon Jovi	...	Ricky McKinney
Angie Dickinson	...	Grace
David Ramsey	...	Sidney Parker
Gary Werntz	...	Mr. Thorsen
Colleen Flynn	...	Woman on Bridge
Marc Donato	...	Adam
Kathleen Wilhoite	...	Bonnie
Liza Snyder	...	Michelle
Jeanetta Arnette	...	Nurse (as Jeannetta Arnette)
Hannah Werntz	...	Thorsen's Daughter

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements including substance abuse/recovery, some sexual situations, language and brief violence

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:10 | Malaysia:U | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | South Korea:12 | Philippines:PG-13 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Bradbury Building - 304 S. Broadway, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The license plate 2GAT123 which appears in this film also features in Traffic (2000), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Mulholland Dr. (2001), Crazy/Beautiful (2001), L.A. Story (1991), "Two and a Half Men" (2003), S.W.A.T. (2003), and Go (1999).

Goofs:

Factual errors: The point of triage in an ER is to identify and treat patients in need of immediate care. No nurse in his/her right mind would pass over a girl having an acute asthma attack for an obviously stable man with a gunshot wound, no matter what order they arrived in.

Quotes:

Arley: I got to take a shower.
Trevor McKenney: What?
Arley: I smell horrible.
Trevor McKenney: No you don't! You smell like a rose or something.
Arley: Are you sure?
Trevor McKenney: Yeah, yeah, I'm sure.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: The Making of 'Pay It Forward' (#7.18)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Calling All Angels

A touching film in these uncertain times

A film of surprising majesty mainly because of its sincerity to convey the tale of a young (American) high school student, touchingly and masterfully played by the then 12-year-old Haley Joel Osment, who, at the instigation of his new teacher's challenge to the class, comes up with a beautiful and simple plan to make a difference in the world, involving doing a good turn to not just one person but three, who then, in turn, return the gift themselves to three more people, thereby very quickly spreading goodness in both directions, in the giving and receiving, in the most unlikely places and ways. Warning: a tear-jerker!